“This term terrorist is a really serious accusation,” Sister Ardeth, a nun for 54 years, told The Washington Times on Thursday in the first interview that the women have given since being informed they were among 53 people added to a terrorist watch list in conjunction with an extensive Maryland surveillance effort of antiwar activists.

“There is no way that we ever want to be identified as terrorists. We are nonviolent. We are faith-based,” she said. […] “Democracy is built on these elements on being able to speak out to speak what we believe is truth,” Sister Carol said.

The nuns said they were not involved in the protests that state police say they targeted. “The spying occurred during the administration of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican.”